r over them. The balloons took special care and could be dangerous if not handled properly. By 1945, almost all barrage-balloon post commanders were women.
Female officers of the National Air Defense Forces also played an important and positive role. These officers proved to be good commanders and organizers. Of course at first they were treated with suspicion by the men under their command. But, as they became more comfortable and more assertive, they began to earn the respect they deserved. Overall, the women who served helped to exert a civilizing influence on their counterparts.
Although the proportion of women in the military was small, overall women in civilian life, back on the farms, in the hospitals, and in the factories played a major role. Not only did they enter the workforce in great numbers, they also were the backbone of the civilian defense forces. Women took u
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